The humanist President: who loved animals as well

The humanist President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s love towards animals is fondly remembered by all those who were close to him. He always had a soft corner to injured and handicapped animals and birds and would go to to any extent to help them. The staff of Rashtrapathi Bhavan have hundreds of instances to cite.

Once he noticed a newly born deer of the ‘Deer enclosure‘ of Rashtrapathi Bhavan, neglected by its mother, was handicapped. He got the limb of the animal corrected by the veterinarians of the Presidential Palace immediately and made sure that the poor animal was properly looked after. He also named it as ‘Tippu’.

He took special interest in getting the cataract of a Hanoverian horse from the 61st Cavalry regiment, (the only one of such kind in the Indian Army) surgically corrected by the presidential palace veterinary experts. A partially blind hippopotamus from a circus company also received his compassionate help. It too was operated upon by the veterinary experts of the Presidential Palace on his directions. A peacock with a broken leg also got his attention and timely help was made available by our most beloved President.

Courtesy: www.shutterstock.com

“Once, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam rejected the suggestion to put broken glass on the wall of a building that needed protection. Why? Because broken glass would be harmful for birds! This happened when Dr. Kalam was with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and his team was discussing options to secure the perimeter of a building that needed protection. Dr. Kalam reportedly said: “If we do that, birds will not be able to perch on the wall.” (Courtesy: www.youthconnect.in, November 13, 2014, Article by Rahul Bhagchandani)

Courtesy: www.youthconnect.in

“Now that I have become the President of India, the government is going to look after me till I am living; so what can I do with my savings and salary?”. This was the question he once asked Dr V Kurien, the Milk man of India. He has given away all his wealth and savings to PURA (Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas), a non-governmental organization working towards urban amenities to rural population.

The entire world mourns his death. And we lost the greatest ever humanist-technocrat-president. Humble tributes of ‘Vetconcerns’.